This invention relates to the thermal destruction of gaseous or vaporized inorganic compounds and organic compounds, such as volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and semi-volatile organic compounds (SVOCs). In particular, it relates to the thermal destruction of heavy-molecule VOCs, such as polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), and inorganic compounds, such as hydrogen sulfide (H.sub.2 S) in a thermoelectric reactor using ultra-pyrolysis technology with thermal radiation enhancement and energy trapping to achieve and maintain temperatures up to and beyond 1900.degree. C., and using non-equilibrium reactions derived from electromagnetic forces to achieve very high destruction efficiencies.
Land disposal of chemically hazardous materials, including volatile and semi-volatile organic compounds, may entail risk of environmental degradation. Consequently, federal statute has severely restricted land disposal of such compounds. Regulations promulgated by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency under the authority of the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act provide that the treatment standard for certain hazardous organic compounds is technology-based and involves destroying the chemical bonds of the hazardous organic compounds. Organic destruction of heavy-molecule VOCs is frequently accomplished in an incinerator, or other device using open-flame combustion, which may produce noxious byproducts such as dioxin or nitrogen oxides. Other disadvantages of incinerators are that they are difficult to economically scale down in size for small throughputs and that it is becoming more difficult to obtain operating permits for them. There is increasing interest in other thermal technologies that avoid the size limitations and adverse environmental effects of incineration, such as the thermal processor and system taught by Kroneberger and Wilcox in U.S. Pat. No. 4,823,711.
Significant quantities of hydrogen sulfide (H.sub.2 S) are produced as a waste stream in petroleum refining, natural gas production, and metals refining. The present invention can effectively dissociate hydrogen sulfide to produce salable sulfur and hydrogen, a potentially valuable source of clean energy. The current conventional technology for treatment of hydrogen sulfide is based on the Claus chemistry, which uses mutual reduction/oxidation of between sulfur dioxide and hydrogen sulfide to produce water and elemental sulfur. Thus, one advantage of the present invention over the Claus chemistry is the recovery of hydrogen, rather than water. A comparison of the energy balance of the present invention with that of Claus chemistry shows that the present invention is more energy-efficient and its use could result in a yearly national energy savings of 100-200 trillion Btu. The present invention if used in a closed loop system has the potential to decrease sulfur related emissions compared with conventional hydrogen sulfide technology. Thus, the present invention has the potential benefits of reducing pollution in treating hazardous waste and of producing hydrogen fuel cheaply.